New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-09-18
AN EPISODE IN GERMANY.
A CAUTION TO TRAVELLERS.

u
| keeping in this pretty German town. mus aom''
that Il was ruther expensive fun snd that there were
other sides 10 it than the ludicroue we had Decn
spending several weeks ct hotel in German ow"her'
| land We we're In no way dissatisfied with our accom-
modations but Madame, the head OF our party was
tired of hotel lite as We had had eight months OF It,
So VIC decided to look about for apartments and try
| Keeping house In Germany.
Atso ho.rs ride by rail brought to Freiburg.
and we were delighted with the town. The beauti'ui
old cathedral of red sandstone the quaint ola wall
| 70 Wer with its oue-handed clock the soldiers
barracks near which were be the exquistely
dressed officers giving themselves Important airs ano
tho correspondnglJ carelessly attired soldiers oen
| drilled or undergoing inspection; the med'ca,
students with faces arred and heads ornamonteo
bnt hardly covered with queer little caps which in
some way i,exploable to they managed to keep on
all these things interested and amused us ana we
went about looking for the apartment WIN sumo 1cs
Jus. the sort we wanted was hard to bnd, out peng
| recommended to a German lady in karlstrasse we
found she would rent the first floor of her house to US
for what we thought fair pric,. Madame decided 10
take the apartment. and as IL was necessary 10 hurry
to the station catch the evening train she asea 10
have the lease sent TO her by mail IN order 10 look "
over at leisure; but no. 1t wod.d take tut momeht'
the frauein said make it out as size had tho neces
sary pauers in the honse The moment heightened 70
several so that, when the paper was finally Drought IL
could be only hurriedy looked at. However, ss
Madame was satisfied with the appearance oil every
thing and had quite made up her nnu sno signou '"o
paper and we hurried Of to our train
One pleasant morning last week we arrived with
bag and baggage As We entered was struck as
had not been before by the crafty and graspin0 LOOK
which the landiady cast upon u.s. her eyes ascnato"
me at once they black and snaky In expires
sioD The first remark that sue maze was 'nas oue
had a servant Tor us. Would We like to see her !
Yea, to be sure. Que of the party understands
little Germ,n but this the fraulein did not know.
When we told her to ask the servant what wagcs sno
got the frauIcin said in German, What do you get
"Fity marks" said the girl.
GOI sixty" added the franlen. Then turning 10 u.s.
"She gets sixty marks q quarter" must remark
here that the Germans pay their servants thrty-sx
mark, for the three months but Americans or English
have to pay more. After talking over the serVan.
question we decided not to engage one, az Ne woud
be Obliged to take her Tor the whole three menths IL
seemed simpler to take dinners at hotel prepar-
np for ourselves our coffee the morning and light
supper at night.
Next the iraulein asked IL Madame would go over
the inventory with her. We we're quite starved by
th, time, as we had had only light breakfast at
and IL was then nearly o'clock. so Madame sara
that after we had eaten something she would look
over the things; but no, it must be done now IL
was after before we were allowed TO eat anything
We found the service made up OF odd bits oil stone
ware and china, and when her attention was called
70 the tact the raulen said hat given you zls tine
poorer ware because your servant vii not so ea'y
break it, The same reason given tor the omission
of the soup tureen cover. servants oreah Iem so
often Eat fought you would rather not hat one
she had promised to give silver bat remarked when
va noticed that there spoons: Perhaps You
hat brought spoons with you. never gu SpoonSi
iorks-yes. but never spoons
At this Madame grew a little indignant. nnd said We
had not brought our silver with us from America;
and "a everything was promised us IN the leaSe, We
should certainly expect her to supply inc spoons
That after Don the traulen came in with halt dozen
tea spoons which had evidently done good service,
and halt dozen table spoons. bran new
As the inventory continued Madame would point out
hicks and cracks the crockery or worn places IN the
furniture. and was always answered IN the same
pbrase: L" Eat b 4 not remarked or, II IL was
cheap thing: "Zst Is for your good Madame, Eat 70
seryaot NAV not break IT." As VIC became better
ACQUAINTED with her founi that great many
things we're done for " our good"
The more anx Gus our laudlsdy was to make us h1t-
ures in Tho lace the more anxious We became to get
AWAY frum our wouid-he benetactress. Four days in
the house with her We found enough. so on the NTH
We went about the town Ia look up MOTEL rs We
rere not ready TO leave Freiburg. We found what
suited us and determine to decamp tue next day.
Our iandlady was called down Lat evening, and
after having her the frat months rent in advance
Madame remarked that we expected to leave tue next
dsy II a thunderbot had struck the woman she
could not have looked more astonished " You are
leaving Frcburg !"
"No Ne are going to n pension
AT Whist houri +" very Grossly.
In time tor dinner. think"
Zen ven vhi you go over re zngs Wit mel '"
" In the afternoon"
aOh Madame you make IA great mistake |! Freiburg
il 40 very healthy. Ny .part-e-ment Ia much nicer
zan vat yon get In pension. IL Ia 20 nice Tor you
here" and she looked really pathetic.
ave will pay you the rent each month" said
Madame, " but we do not caro- 10 stay"
/" But | prefer you TO stay. Madame My sister
prefers It. We prefer the furniture gets broken and
20 dishes Eat YOU go"
That Was easy TO understand, tor the woman told us
herself that cayina she made each tenant pay the
tul yaue thing the least injured. Besides
II stayed Wuet keep SWEET the sidewalk, front
seps aud hall, and, in TACT, we're responsible tor
the general clean illness OF tue whole louise. In think
ing what the woman would save and what she
seemed very likely that she inten icd TO double her
aNo Madame. ! will not let you co.
But II pay you the rent can 30 whon ana where
like"
NO. Midame, not in Germany We don't allow Eat
one tales a-psrte-ment and does not stay" This
was SAID with great decision. Then, alter moment,
am s sorry rat let you or ,e sIgn re pepper II
HAD known never would have done so. IL gifs mo
such great ain 10 my heart" putting her hand on
the place where that organ was suppos ed TO be.
(" But YOU nc possibly feel as badly about it
do Tor we are the ones who lose the money besides,
il you are truly sorry that You allowed Madame to
sign the paper you can destroy IT, aud II wall Ill be as
II YOU had not allowed It," could not refrain from
saying
"ohl NO!ri apparent horror. "zat will not
do Ii Ia impossible
"vcry well SAID Madame, al will pay you but
will not stay"
.You vii not take your dinner here tomorrow"
"No We have taken our dinner out before"
"Natl You have eaten some dnuers not hcref"
Several times"
For some reason. still unknown to u.s. this made her
very augry As she got up to leave us at the end OF
line interv she handed us police paper. which she
said must be made OUT at once The name OF each
member the household was to be put down, his OF
hor birthplace. day i birth. occupation aud descrp
ton of the personal appearance OF each also. where
he had come from aud where he was gong. This
paper filed out concsey as possible but
not able TO say where were going next. When
the iraulein observed this omission she ~ ent into
paroxy SUI o. rage. and compelled to write something
Madame wrote simply I" New-YOrk.' because uti.
maeiy steps will turn in that direction and at the
moment some place remote from Freiburg seemed
desirable.
Madame, ANNOYED at the woman's persistence,
deciied TO leave The next morning right after break
FAST with the youngest OF the party then to return
after dinner. she had said. look the china
The rest OF us were To stay - get things n order